Shootout 2009

[landracing]

jimmy six,

good observation on that last post, but we will see after the... "And he used the fogger system -- will use his bigger nitrous setup on his next run." .....

JonAmo

[thundersalt]

So I guess the 757's parachutes are working ...

ROALMFAO

[Seldom Seen Slim]

He's doing all this testing on an older C motor.  Probably will be here at WF with a fresh engine - according to Steve, the driver.

[Dr. Spin]

Do you know if Tom Burkland is at the shootout?

[doug]

So I guess the 757's parachutes are working ...

ROALMFAO

They must have several of them.
Maybe they are fogging the parachutes?

[Wester]

BUB in the timed mile, shootin ducks all the way thru the course.  Radio transmission said "Sounded terrible the whole way."

For the first set of action photos with the new 18-200 EF-S IS lens, I'm very pleased.  Much cheaper than an L series lens...and there's nothing in that range with Image Stabilization.  Btw, this lens has auto axis sensing so it'll only correct in the opposite axis of panning.  Pretty kool...and a lot less money than an L lens.  It'll also work with the "amost-released 7D" camera which is essentially a baby 5D with the same size sensor array as the 40D that I use, but instead of 10.2 mpixels, it has 18.something. And it's less than half of the price of a 5D.  Look out, Visa card...I can see somethin in your future.

Now you know why I got that kit lens with my new Canon camera Ray.  I'm lovin' it.

[Dean Los Angeles]

Can some one answer a few questions please?

1) What wheels & tires are on the front of the Saltmo & what are their speed ratings?
2) Is the JetBike considered a flat bottom motorcycle streamliner?
3) Is the track still wet & is that the reason for all of the engine failures?
4) What is the closest road to the Newfoundland Basin?
 Congratulations to all the racers meeting their goals at Shootout 2009. cheers
Thank you

The front wheels on the Saltmo are plastic and have no speed rating.
The JetBike is a JetBike. No motorcycle class.
The engine failures are because they are being pushed past their limit, like every good racing engine should.
There is no road. That is the biggest problem to racing there. The cost of putting in a road that would support a lot of vehicles is prohibitive.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

I haven't seen Tom or any of the Burkland crowd.   Terry Nish's van was at the Salt Flats Cafe this morning and I just heard on the radio that he's on the salt -- but haven't seen him.

The Missile is at the 12 mile and planning on running soon.

[Wester]

There is no road. That is the biggest problem to racing there. The cost of putting in a road that would support a lot of vehicles is prohibitive.
[/quote]

There's actually easier access from the railroad at the top end of the playa.  Shades of the 1914 runs by the Blitzen Benz when they took the race cars to the flats on flatbed rail cars.  The Air Force controls access to the area over their test and training range access roads.  There's unexploded munitions out there that strayed from the Air Force area. 

On the positive side, the salt depth and condition is similar to those 1914 run conditions.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

The railroad company will be one of the biggest problems in getting access.  They'll be hesitant because of potential liability from incidents on the race area - even if the incident doesn't happen to occur on their property.  They will have to be convinced to allow access across the tracks or parallel to the tracks. 

In other news, the Mormon Missile is ready to begin the start process down at the 12 mile.

Update:  Missile driver, Curtis Halvorson, is in the car and about 5-7 minutes from ready to run.

[836dstr]

Jon,

A random question.

In relation to the 12 miles course where is the timed mile?

Keep up the great reporting job!

Tom

[DrofRockology]

There's actually easier access from the railroad at the top end of the playa.

damn those burning man people!

they have the whole world calling lake beds playas.

playa is spanish for beach.

it does not mean lake bed and is not interchangeable with lake bed or dry lake.

it is a salt flat!

el mirage is a dry lake!

they are both lake beds!

the areas where the lake bed blends into the surrounding terrain could be called a playa.

[jimmy six]

Jon #757 is a good example of messing with a good thing...Something the salt gods frown on..They will put in the "good" race engine and we will be shut down for an hour for debris on the course (guess who will be in their suit next to go). No one is ever satisfied... I hope the bring a higher gear orh have an "extra" overdrive. The nitrous units I ran loved the bigger gear and hated RPM............JD

[Freud]

This may have been the first meeting with the BLM and others, but the possibility of racing there has been extensively investigated over the

 past year or more.

Many access possibilities have been considered, including the use of large aircraft.

Sit back, and listen. There's no good reason to ask a lot of questions because the answers aren't that available.

FREUD

[Seldom Seen Slim]

The measured section of the course is smack-dab in the middle -- giving the same amount of run-up in each direction.  So -- about 5 1/2 miles from the Zero to the entry of the time mile and then the timed kilo, then one kilo then one mile to the exit, then another 5 1/2 to the 12 (the other zero).

Missile is ready -- course is clear.  Engine not running yet, though.


Update:  Engine has been started.

Ooops -- on hold for a minute.  Hang in there - - -

Dang -- the Missile had some issue pop up and they're going to return her to the pits.  I'll let you know what's happening next.  I now hear that there was a vibration in the car -- when they started up at the 12 mile just now it was still there.  Curtis would put the clutch in and put the car in gear -- and the engine would die.  They'll bring it back here to work on it.

In the meantime I've heard the Speed Demon crew start up and run the motor for a few seconds at a time.